The invention relates to a franking machine with a printing head fixed to a machine mainshaft, a drive for the machine mainshaft, in order to rotate the printing head for at least one printing cycle, typewheels mounted in rotary manner in the printing head for printing the value, an electromechanical drive for each of the typewheels for setting a desired franking value, mechanical locking means for securing the setting positions of control members of the electromechanical drive, sensors for supplying position signals of the locking means to a central electronic control unit for the control of the electromechanical drive and a control console with a keyboard for the random inputting of instructions to the control unit for setting the typewheels of the printing head and with a display for displaying the inputted instructions.
In a known franking machine of this type (U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,923), the instructions to an electronic control unit for setting the franking value are only inputted via a tens keyboard. The electromechanical setting of the typewheels takes place at the end of the complete entry by means of an additional actuating signal. For setting a three-figure franking value of e.g. $1.00, three instructions are inputted for this figure sequence and also an actuating instruction (SET) via the keyboard, so that in all it is necessary to press four keys.